| caption: |
to Thangtwure via Sitimi;ceremony and ritual between and within villages; inter-village hostilities |
| text: |
11/2/1926 To Thangtwure via Sitimi, about 15 miles, crossing the high range at over 8000 and camping at a little under 7000. Neither village has ever been visited before. Sitimi possess a precious stone, a queer shaped pock-marked pit of dark stone looking like a piece of rusty iron. It was found near the village and is kept under a pile of stones on the outskirts of the village where people bring it offerings of modhu and occasionally of pice. A little beyond Nikiya's village is a nullah called Azhekekahawoki ie. fleuve anonyme. This is the boundary between Nikiya and Sitimi, and Nikiya of that ilk and Kohoto of Sitimi agreed on it and killed a pig and a dog there but Yasheki of Nikiya could not share their meal because his mithan had calved that day. Consequently there is a tendency on the part of Nikiya to claim land across it on the ground that they cleared certain areas first, which is true, but as this stream seems to have been subsequently agreed on by both parties I put it on record against the day when there will be a full dress dispute. |
| text: |
Thangtwure is a small Sangtam village which pays tribute to Ghukwi of Lhoshyepu. Nivi of Kukishe - an objectionable and cowardly bandit has recently demanded revenue from them. I told them to refuse and to see what happened. Nothing much will happen as Nivi dare not. Shietsu came in and said they would never accept the boundary I fixed between them and Tsungare. They refused to turn up when Lokevi placed the stones there and now say that they will chop Tsungare. I told them that in that case they could chop away but that they would find Choppa-choppy most unpleasant as though Tsungare is a small village and has no friends and will be "easy meat" to Shietsu, Shietsu has some very powerful enemies who would have cleared them out long ago if they had not been afraid that we should interfere. If Shietsu start a state of war there can be no reason for our restraining their enemies, and if the enemies proved slow bellies I should not mind a good excuse for punishing Shietsu myself as they have always been a troublesome and unpleasant village. |
